For a non-contact carrying device which carries a semiconductor wafer as a workpiece, i.e., as a carried object while keeping it in an non-contact state, there is developed a device having: a carrying head in which an annular holding surface is formed at a tip surface of the head and a concave portion having a gas guiding surface smoothly continuing from a center portion toward the holding surface is formed; and a nozzle provided in the concave portion, wherein air is discharged from a slit formed between a circular nozzle head portion and a tip surface of the carrying head (see Patent Document 1). In this kind of non-contact carrying device, gas discharged from the slit of the nozzle flows along and adheres to the gas guiding surface and reaches the holding surface and then flows radially outwardly, and a front of the tip surface of the carrying head always becomes a negative pressure state due to airflow toward the tip surface. Therefore, if the carried object is disposed in front of the carrying head, the carried object approaches the carrying head so as to be sucked in the carrying head due to the negative pressure. The airflow flowing along the holding surface prevents the carried object from directly contacting with the holding surface, so that the carried object is held in the non-contact state by the carrying head and the carried object can be carried by moving the carrying head.
Patent Document 1: Japanese patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-181879.